Newsgroups: comp.ai.games
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From: bt422@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Michael Neame)
Subject: Re: Town Simulation
Message-ID: <DFynJH.74p@freenet.carleton.ca>
Sender: bt422@freenet2.carleton.ca (Michael Neame)
Reply-To: bt422@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Michael Neame)
Organization: The National Capital FreeNet
References: <44rvgm$q2p@rc1.vub.ac.be> <DFwGtw.2wI@freenet.carleton.ca> <44v14u$itv@zeppelin.convex.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Oct 1995 05:35:31 GMT
Lines: 37


Jeffrey Bay (jbay@news.eng.convex.com) writes:
> In article <DFwGtw.2wI@freenet.carleton.ca>,
> Michael Neame <bt422@FreeNet.Carleton.CA> wrote:
>>
>>The Neon Antichrist (anon@vub.ac.be) writes:
> snip
> Also, rather than giving them specific jobs, let them work out a 
> solution of their own. A van drives up at certain times, and will give 
> food to people who give him money. if he is attacked, he will drive away
> for a few days. model all the inputs and outputs from the town in this way, 
> then see what coping strategies the inhabitants develop. 
> Will they cooperate? compete? beat each other up?
> will a shopkeeper emerge near the van drop off who acts as a go-between?
> etc. You could set up only the most limited structure for a person, and see if
> you can create simple rules that will cause a complex emergent phenomenon, 
> i.e., a working town...
> 
> Depending on the platform, I would be interested in helping also, but I know 
> very little about graphics, and would be more interested in the person to 
> person interaction. I have long wanted to beuild a sim like this, but I would
> do it in text only, so that it could be used on as many platforms as possible. 
 Yes, this is what I was thinking of. it could be really interesting; You
could start a society with no "morals" and see if a code of laws evolves
so that the town can function. From a sociology standpoint, Ill bet
something like this would be very valuable (perhaps a market, there.)
   I'd be willing to do a basic graphics front end to go with it, but I
have no doubt the vast bulk of teh programming will be in the people and
objects, and that's what I'm really interested in. If Mr Neon isn't
willing to follow this up, and I decide I will, do you want me to send you
some more detailed thoughts on this? What platform would you prefer? I do
IBM's, pretty much, and I'd thought of doing it in C++ (a natural subject
for OOP) What platform and language would you prefer?

-Mike


